Posts with tag: legislation

Rogue landlord served with £23,000 fine

Published On: November 2, 2015 at 12:05 pm

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A rogue landlord in Reading has been ordered to pay a substantial fee after pleading guilty to a series of offences.

Mr Hafiz Mohammed Gulfraz was fined £20,000 and told to stump up an extra £3,343 in costs after a string of breaches of legislation. These included:

  • taking control of a HMO without a licence
  • breaching an emergency prohibition order
  • intentionally tampering with the electric and gas supply

The offences all took place during this year and all relate to the single property in Reading.

Charges

Mr Gulfraz was charged with 12 offences, five of which magistrates deemed to be most serious, hence the severity of the fine. These were based on breaches such as failing to ensure that the fire alarm and lighting were maintained properly and intentionally depriving tenants of adequate heat and light.

Rogue landlord served with £23,000 fine

Rogue landlord served with £23,000 fine

The court said that this particular case was one of the worst that it had ever dealt with.

Reading council began their investigation on the property in January following contact from a tenant in the property. Officers found a large number of health and safety hazards at the property, including the central heating system being disconnected.

The council decided that there was an imminent threat of harm if the tenants were to remain in the property and thus an emergency prohibition notice was served.

Additionally, despite there were five rent paying tenants residing in the property, it was still not listed as a house in multiple occupation.

Welsh landlord fined £20k

Published On: September 2, 2015 at 4:56 pm

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A landlord in Wales has been prosecuted following failures in licensing and safety regulations surrounding her property.

Kaneeza Abid of Newport entered a guilty plea after failing to licence a HMO in Alma Street. Under the Housing Act, she was fined £10,000.

Offences

Additionally, Abid admitted a further 10 offences of failing to comply with the Management Regulations of 2006. She was also fined £1,000 for each offence committed.

What’s more, Abid was told to pay council costs of £1,229, plus a victim surcharge of £120.

After inspecting the property on January 22nd, environmental health officers from Newport City Council found that it required a licence and that fire escapes were obstructed with poor lighting.

Welsh landlord fined £20k

Welsh landlord fined £20k

Regulations

Councillor Bob Poole, Newport City Council’s cabinet member for regulatory functions, commented, ‘HMOs are licenced and regulated for a reason. This is about safety. Tenants are entitled to live in accommodation that is safe.’[1]

‘Landlords have that responsibility and the council will not hesitate to take action against those who put tenants at risk,’ Poole added.[1]

[1] https://www.landlordtoday.co.uk/breaking-news/2015/9/20k-fine-for-newport-hmo-landlord

 

 

Letting agent warns against falling foul of rogue landlords

Published On: August 18, 2015 at 10:38 am

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A letting agent has today given a warning to tenants, urging them to protect themselves against rogue landlords.

The warning from AcornLettings in Nottingham comes after a claim that the city is one of the worst in Britain for irresponsible property owners.

Findings

Data from 2006 to 2014 shows that Nottingham is one of the top-ten locations for prosecutions against rogue landlords and agents. There were 46 prosecutions against rogues in the period, with fines totalling over £141,000.[1]

AcornLettings manager director Richard Hopwood observed, ‘obviously poor housing has a severe effect on a tenant’s health and well-being and the problem of rogue landlords has been a serious concern across Nottinghamshire.’[1]

Hopwood also believes that it is sometimes too easy for a landlord to be considered a rogue, even if they try to operate with the best intentions. Rigorous legislation concerning rental properties is becoming harder to adhere to, making some honest landlords fall into the same bracket as their unscrupulous peers.

Letting agent warns against falling foul of rogue landlords

Letting agent warns against falling foul of rogue landlords

Avoidance

Additionally, Nottingham City Council’s environmental health team issued landlords who were found to have deliberately avoided licensing their properties who in excess of 750 enforcement notices in the past year.

‘There are over 300 bits of legislation in every tenancy which highlights the risk involved with renting privately or becoming a DIY landlords,’ Hopwood concluded.

[1] https://www.lettingagenttoday.co.uk/breaking-news/2015/8/letting-agent-issues-warning-on-rogue-landlords